Draw my Life — Our Board Game Reviewer Backstory @Shelfside

Uploaded December 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

How did we start making board game reviews? This is the full Shelfside backstory on what got us into the hobby, how Daniel and Ashton met, the struggles along the way, and how it all kept being okay for our tabletop journey. We did not get to include our boardgamegeek stuff, but we do include Yu-gi-Oh (Yu-Gi-Oh) and Battlestar Galactica, as well as the pivotal realization of HeroQuest’s ameritrash dungeon crawling. Buckle up for our discussion from elementary school to now, with even discussion of reddit and our viral videos like Every Gloomhaven Scoundrel Ever.

Play Ascension World of Warcraft for free: ascension.gg/new-arrival/s9

Table of Contents:
Hello! - (0:00)
Ascension.gg - (0:18)
Elementary School - (1:14)
Middle School - (2:35)
High School - (4:59)
College - (8:36)
The Official Journey- (12:07)

Support us:
patreon.com/shelfside
ko-fi.com/shelfside

Our Website!
shelfside.co

Purchase Games We’ve Reviewed! (Paid Link)
amazon.com/shop/shelfside

Shelfside Social Media:
twitter.com/ShelfSideYT
instagram.com/shelfsideboardgames
facebook.com/ShelfsideYT
discord.gg/U7QQKqYT62

Links to our other stuff:
Ashton's Channel: youtube.com/ashtonwu
Daniel's Channel: youtube.com/user/doyduh2

Stuff used:
Music: Happy Calm Intro 64 by TaigaSoundProd
Free download: filmmusic.io/song/12045-happy-calm-intro-64

Music: Happy Calm Intro 62 by TaigaSoundProd
Free download: filmmusic.io/song/12008-happy-calm-intro-62

Music: Happy Calm Intro 66 by TaigaSoundProd
Free download: filmmusic.io/song/12083-happy-calm-intro-66
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: filmmusic.io/standard-license

#boardgames #tabletop #tabletopgames

Draw my Life — Our Board Game Reviewer Backstory

Alice is Missing Review — 1st Silent Game Impressions

Degenesis Clan Wars Prototype Review — My Junk Food Campaign Gaming

$Reviewing EVERY Exploding Kittens Game of 2025 We cover Exploding Kittens’ 10 year anniversary with the reprint of the card game and the exploding kittens board game! As well as 11 other entries, for a total of 13 games covered in this massive review! Admist all of the take that and hand management of these games, do have the depth we’d expect from our normal coverage of BGG games? In fact, the games are quirky with solid components, but their quality control with balance and rules may need some work. Still, there’s social strategy with alliances in something like Survivor: The Tribe Has Spoken, or educational elements in Monster Match! Just hope you don’t get eliminated too quickly in some of the longer ones! Even Tim Ferris and Jeff Probst are designers amongst all of these selections! Other games featured: Flip 7, UNO, Throw Throw Burrito, Poetry for Neanderthals, Cards Against Humanity, Spoons, War, Codenames SUSD Article: https://www.shutupandsitdown.com/review-cards-against-humanity/ Table of Contents: Intro & Overview - (0:00) Exploding Kittens, 10 Year Anniversary Edition- (2:17) Exploding Kittens The Board Game - (11:23) Giants Moving Tiny Furniture - (17:11) Coyote -(21:11) Exploding Pigeon - (27:03) Row Your Goat - (30:50) Monster Match - (36:58) Survivor: The Tribe Has Spoken - (39:56) Survivor: Let’s Go to Rocks - (49:16) Pickle Grab - (55:32) Roly Poly Goalie - (1:02:40) What Were You Thinking? - (1:07:48) Horrible Couple: Extra Horrible Edition (NSFW) - (1:18:35) Ashton’s Final Thoughts - (1:25:53) Support us: https://www.patreon.com/shelfside https://ko-fi.com/shelfside Our Website! https://www.shelfside.co/ Purchase Games We’ve Reviewed! (Paid Link) https://amazon.com/shop/shelfside Shelfside Social Media: https://twitter.com/ShelfSideYT https://www.instagram.com/shelfsideboardgames/ https://www.facebook.com/ShelfsideYT/ https://discord.gg/U7QQKqYT62 Links to our other stuff: Ashtons Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ashtonwu Daniels Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/doyduh2 Stuff Used: Kevin Macleod — Professor and the Plant, Monkeys Spinning Monkeys, Adventures in Adventureland, Devonshire Waltz Allegretto, Grand Dark Waltz, Laconic Granny, Divertimento K131, Winner Winner, Farting Around, Casa Bossa Nova, Ambler, Dentaneosuchus Hunt, Goblin Tinker Soldier Spy, Starting Out Waltz Allegretto, Morning, Lords of the Rangs Vlog Indie Rock Advertising by Infraction, Independece [Copyright Free Music] / Switchblade https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPU3nIZrnlU&list=RDCPU3nIZrnlU Blues Lounge Vlog by Infraction [Copyright Free Music] / Blues https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYRfV-NovEc&list=RDkYRfV-NovEc Age of Empires 2: Age of Kings Track 4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDcZXEMF84k&list=RDNDcZXEMF84k Age of Empires 2: Age of Kings - Track 8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkOC5BnnXwU&list=RDPkOC5BnnXwU Age of Empires 2 The Conquerors Track 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRWpooKRLwg&list=RDGRWpooKRLwg Age of Empires 2 The Conquerors Track 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jDWRC9_Gk0&list=RD5jDWRC9_Gk0 Age of Empires 2 The Conquerors Track 5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BaShAjqNFE&list=RD6BaShAjqNFE Age of Empires 2 The Conquerors Track 6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7fzvohmvsQ&list=RDU7fzvohmvsQ Age of Empires 2 The Conquerors Track 7 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ed1G4I_UpE&list=RD3Ed1G4I_UpE Age of Empires 2 The Conquerors Track 8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JUdalWK-vI&list=RD5JUdalWK-vI #boardgames #tabletop #review$

I eat at 5 NYC Board Game Stores & Cafes

Star Wars: Battle of Hoth Review — Memoir 44 Strikes Back!

Heat: Pedal to the Metal Review — Fast, but thematically limited?